- Protestors marched from Downing Street to Israeli embassy in Kensington
- Anger over Israel's ground offensive is growing as 60 die in clashes
- They chanted: 'Free, free Palestine' as police officers looked on
Thousands
of protesters gathered in London today to call for an end to Israeli
military action in Gaza and 'justice and freedom' for Palestine.
Up to 15,000 people marched through the capital from Downing Street to the Israeli embassy in Kensington.
Respect
MP George Galloway addressed the crowd. He said: 'They want to end the
Palestinian people, but the Palestinians will never surrender.
'We are here to stay. As long as one Palestinian remains alive we will be with them.'
Voicing anger: Thousands of protesters march through from Downing Street to the Israeli embassy in Kensington
A protestor with an 'Anonymous' mask outside the Israeli embassy
Sarah Colborne, director of the Palestine
Solidarity Campaign, said: 'London has already shown its outrage at
Israel's attacks on the mostly refugee population of Gaza, with people
turning out in their thousands last week.
'Today's
national demonstration will give people from across the country the
chance to say enough is enough, Israel's siege of Gaza and its
occupation of Palestinian land has to end now.
'People want justice and freedom for the Palestinians, and they will be voicing this in their thousands.'
The
protest took place as it emerged that 50,000 refugees are seeking
sanctuary in 34 UN shelters in the strife-hit region, relief workers
said.
At least 60 Palestinians are thought to have been killed since Israel launched the ground offensive in Gaza on Thursday.
Israeli
troops battled Hamas militants in Gaza on the second day of the
operation as the Palestinian death toll from the 12-day offensive topped
330, according to officials in Gaza.
Labour MP Diane Abbott was among the speakers to address protesters as they gathered in Whitehall.
Protestors waved flags and placards outside the Israeli embassy in West London
At least 60 Palestinians are thought to have been killed since Israel launched the ground offensive in Gaza on Thursday
'I am here to show solidarity with the people in Gaza,' she said.
'We call for an end to the occupation and justice for Palestinians.'
Pro Palestine supporters carried placards with the messages 'Gaza, stop the massacre' and "stop Israel's war crimes'.
They
chanted: 'In our thousands, in our millions, we are all Palestinians'
and 'free, free, Palestine' as a heavy police presence looked on.
Pro-Palestinian
protesters clashed with police in Paris on Saturday as they defied a
ban on a planned rally against violence in the Gaza strip.
Protest: Demonstrators march on Whitehall. 333 people in the Gaza strip have died from Israeli strikes
A
Reuters photographer said demonstrators in northern Paris had launched
projectiles at riot police, who responded by firing teargas canisters.
President
Francois Hollande said earlier that he had asked his interior minister
to ban protests that could turn violent after demonstrators marched on
two synagogues in Paris last weekend and clashed with riot police. There
were also demonstrations in Nice in south-east France.
French
President Francois Hollande said he understood emotional responses to
the killing of hundreds of Palestininan civilians in the Gaza Strip in a
flare-up of hostilities with Israel but would not allow violence to
spill over into France.
There was also a demonstration in Brussels, Belgium.
There
were also clashes between Loyalist protesters with pro-Israeli flags
and people attending a rally in support of Palestine in Belfast today.
Loyalist protesters with pro-Israeli flags clash with people attending a rally in support of Palestine in Belfast
Rage: Two women hold placards reading 'Stop Genocide' during a demonstration in Brussels
A pro-Palestinian protester throws a projectile
during a demonstration against violence in the Gaza strip which had been
banned by police in Paris
Protesters stand together as they clash with
riot police near the Barbes-Rochechouart aerial metro station prior to
the departure of a demonstration, banned by French police, in Paris
Left, a woman shouts while holding a placard
reading 'I don't want to be an accomplice to the Gaza genocide' as
protesters gather in Paris, prior to the departure of a demonstration,
banned by French police. Right, protesters burn an Israeli flag
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators protest against the Israeli army's bombings in the Gaza strip today
Global: Ahmad Abuleil waves a Palestinian flag
as he leads Amira Sakalla, head of University of Tennessee Students for
Justice In Palestine, and others in a march in Knoxville, Tennesee
yesterday
Yesterday a
group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators had to be ejected from the
Cabinet Office after staging a protest against Israeli military action
in Gaza.
The
loose-knit group, who call themselves London Palestine Action, posted
photos on their Facebook page of demonstrators linking arms as they sat
in the lobby of the Whitehall building at around 4.30pm.
Police
officers were called to remove the small group, who were chanting
anti-Israel slogans and carrying banners reading 'Stop arming Israel'.
Leila
White, an art history student at King's College, took part with up to
25 fellow activists in the 45-minute protest, in response to the Israeli
ground offensive which began in Gaza on Thursday.
The
group locked themselves to railings before unfurling banners and
chanting, demanding to speak with Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg or a
Cabinet Office official.
Ms
White said: 'By allowing arms exports to Israel to flourish, the UK
Government is providing material and political support for Israel's
violent oppression and collective punishment of Palestinians, including
the current massacre in Gaza.'
She
added: 'There has not been enough condemnation of Israel's military
action. Basically, we want the UK Government to invoke an arms embargo
against Israel.'
The Metropolitan Police said no one was arrested before the group moved on.
Last
night Israel said on Friday it was reducing its diplomatic presence in
Turkey after protesters angered by its ground offensive into Gaza pelted
its consulate in Istanbul with stones and draped Palestinian flags on
the ambassador's residence in Ankara.
The
Israeli Foreign Ministry accused Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan of
"incitement" and said it was ordering the return of diplomats' families
and trimming staffing to a minimum.
Erdogan
accused the Jewish state on Wednesday of terrorising the region and
likened an Israeli MP and member of the governing coalition to Hitler.
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